Fulltiming with kids February 09, 2016, 10:07:22 am Yahoo Message Number: 158637Catherine, you don't say if you have previous RV experience, but these websites may provide some good information through the experiences of others who have, and are, fulltiming with children. (The RV choices of the larger families might be of particular interest.)http://fulltimefamilies.com/http://www.familiesontheroad.com/http://worldschooladventures.com/other-traveling-families/http://www.kelloggshow.com/https://ditchingsuburbia.com/resources/fulltime-rving-familiesI understand the appeal of "smaller", and I definitely understand the desire for adventure, but, IMO, with two adults and four kids, I suggest that small spaces will get *very* small, *very* quickly, particularly when weather and other circumstances limit or exclude time spent outside. The "stuff" requirements (even held to a minimum) of six people and the equipment and supplies needed to sustain same will definitely strain the weight limits, tank capacities, riding/sleeping area space, and general "moving around" room of a 27', and in a 31', the load would very likely be WELL over the gvwr.As ever, YMMV. Good luck to you.Joan
Re: Fulltiming with kids Reply #1 – February 09, 2016, 11:41:12 am Yahoo Message Number: 158641Thanks, Joan. We have NO RV experience. Camping, off-road with our land cruiser and defender, yes. Full time RVing, no.We are preparing for what seems to me like two different trips, traveling the US over three months, where size, electricity, camp sites aren't really a problem. And Central & South America, where many of the blogs I read recommend deisel, min electronics, good clearance and smaller vehicles.Not having previous RV exp, I'm really open to consider anything.Thank you for the links! Btw, what does YMMV mean?Cathy
Re: Fulltiming with kids Reply #2 – February 09, 2016, 11:51:11 am Yahoo Message Number: 158642YMMV = "Your Mileage May Vary". In other words, what works for one person may not work for others. ;-)Joan
Re: Fulltiming with kids Reply #3 – February 09, 2016, 02:33:36 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158647Cathy, a group member named Tessa Hill has a blog to which she posted her travels with her children in her Lazy Daze: Fast blog help- Index - Texas Travel BlogChris
Re: Fulltiming with kids Reply #4 – February 09, 2016, 11:00:31 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158662Hi Cathy - I'd also add my voice to the chorus suggesting that any Lazy Daze is going to be very small for a family of 6 for an extended period of time. Our family of 5 owns a MB unit and has traveled for up to 3 months at a time. IMO, it's a wonderful way to travel but a rough way to live with a crew that size. For an extended trip with that many people, you pretty much need to count on outside space for living areas. That means chasing good weather and comfortable surroundings. You will have trouble fitting multiple seasons of clothing for everyone. Water and Waste Tanks get small fast when you are dealing with that many showers. School adds another level of needs when it comes to storage space and work space. My suggestion might be to try and find a 15 passenger van and a towable with a bunkhouse. Another site to mention when it comes to LD's and family travel is http://www.cross-country-trips.com Good Luck Rich '03 MB in NC
Re: Fulltiming with kids Reply #5 – February 10, 2016, 12:49:04 am Yahoo Message Number: 158665CathyConsider renting several different size RVs for a few long weekends and see for yourself if RVing, in general, and what size rig might be best for you. Make sure to take lots and lots of gear and food, to get an better idea of what it is like living in a loaded rig. It's a lot different than looking at empty rigs at RV shows.Taking a long trip, with your family, can be a wonderful experience or it could be the trip from hell. Many are attracted by the romance of hitting the road but find the actual experience is a little different than what they expected. Buying an old, undersized rig will not add to the fun.Since you are looking at older RVs, if and when you do find the RV of your dreams, it would be smart have it inspected top to bottom by a qualified mechanic and a RV tech to find some of the hidden defects that the majority of older RVs have. It will cost a few hundred upfront but could save you many thousands of dollar in repairs. It's not unusual to find hidden damage that can cost more to repair than what an older RV is worth. Leaking windows or the roof can destroy the wood framing if the leak is not fixed and the framing properly dried out. Rot repair can be extremely expensive. Many of these problems are not noticed by the untrained eye, especially when the rig has a lot of 'curb' appeal and you really want to buy an RV. This is a very similar experience to buying real house.Also budget several thousand dollars to take care of items that may need replacement or repair, such as tires, batteries, refrigerators (yes, they start fail after 8-10 years-$1500), roof resealing, and all the 'unseen' problems, plus whatever upgrades you may want to make. A good inspection should point out many of these items. RVing is not a cheap lifestyle, budget accordingly.Larry
Toy Hauler Conversion Recommendation...Re: [LD] Re: Fulltiming with Reply #6 – February 11, 2016, 05:52:33 am Yahoo Message Number: 158710...not to nag, but to tag to previous comment...we met a young couple with 4 boys & baby girl full timing...Dad was a remote software nerd for a German company...Mom home school, etc. ...they planned for a year or so, selling their Kentucky home & everything...had a semi-custom "big & heavy duty" toy hauler build...hooked it to a Mega Cab Dodge with the Cummings Diesel, a major power horse...I know I owned one and pulled heavy Desert Fox Toy Hauler by Northwoods Manuf'r...they are we'll build rigs that are even good on dirt, gravel backcountry roads as they can come with big wheels, etc. for ground clearance...probably needed in countries to the south...need to beef up leaf springs et al... ...why the toy hauler?...they had the toy hauler rear, "garage" converted into 4 bunk beds with nooks for the boys homework & sundries plus clothes storage, etc. ...Dad often worked sitting in the truck cab or outside if weather permitted. ...they had been out about a year & we're very happy with their setup...they often stay at RV parks for showers & laundry plus safe play space...however they were doing some backcountry out USA west. ...be careful if you do shop toy haulers, most are junk & unsafe to drive especially the light weight ones in strong winds plus the cheap frames bend...Desert Fox haulers are well built with reasonable price points...they are making some bigger rigs these days...can always have a cabinet shop detail bunks, etc. ...it is nice to be able to disconnect for local touring, grocery & other shopping, medical, normal living trips, etc... ...oh!...the other major reason this family chose this arrangement, when traveling their precious children were seat belted in the heavy duty, Mega Cab Truck...think they had a bench seat up front, not sure? ...we liked our toy hauler traveling with only one child as the interior had high ceilings for open feeling & upper bunk with sit up & play space including our daughter's doggie. ...hope these thoughts help, best, Vaughn
Re: Toy Hauler Conversion Recommendation...Re: [LD] Re: Fulltiming w Reply #7 – February 11, 2016, 10:43:43 am Yahoo Message Number: 158711Thanks, Vaughn and Rich and everyone, for adding your thoughts. It's a good debate. To add a few more details, we live in Morocco. Our children will be 3, 5, 6 and 7 years old. We'll arrive in the United States, have a couple weeks in New York and start on our way cross country, outfitting our vehicles as we go. We don't really have the possibility to try out vehicles as Larry suggested. I see us pretty light on the personal stuff because we are not selling our home and really bringing the bare minimum of what we need, or buying along the way. We also are heading south in September, hopefully chasing summer. Though I understand we have to watch out for the rainy season (when?). Checking out the Desert Fox now... Rich, what is an MB? Cathy
Re: Toy Hauler Conversion Recommendation...Re: [LD] Re: Fulltiming w Reply #8 – February 11, 2016, 12:01:59 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158714"Heading South" Which part of South? Southeast, south central, southwest? And I'm curious, where did you get the information about "watching out for the rainy season"? Where/when you travel in the US has a lot to do with how much rain you will experience. MB = Midbath, one of the Lazy Daze floorplans which are all viewable at the Lazy Daze website: Motorhome Dealer | Low Profile Motorhome | RV Manufacturer | Quality MotorhomeChris
Re: Toy Hauler Conversion Recommendation...Re: [LD] Re: Fulltiming w Reply #9 – February 11, 2016, 12:57:30 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158716hi Chris, We'll be in Washington State in late August. then head down the west coast, thru mexico, central america and down to patagonia. havent done my research yet but someone reminded me to watch out for the rainy season in mexico or central america.Cathy
Re: Toy Hauler Conversion Recommendation...Re: [LD] Re: Fulltiming w Reply #10 – February 11, 2016, 03:19:45 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158717"then head down the west coast, thru mexico, central america and down to patagonia. havent done my research yet but someone reminded me to watch out for the rainy season in mexico or central america."If planning on making it to the road's end in Patagonia, a big 4X4 pickup and a off-road rated trailer would be my choice. In Argentina, much of the road is dirt and isn't in good shape. You will encounter hundreds of miles of rough roads. LDs, and Class Cs in general, do not do well on rough, dirt roads. The noise and vibration will drive you crazy and require very low speeds, to keep from damaging the coach. A 4X4 pickup would be much better suited for the road conditions you will encounter.Larry
Re: Toy Hauler Conversion Recommendation...Re: [LD] Re: Fulltiming w Reply #11 – February 11, 2016, 04:12:21 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158718Ah, yes, Cathy. Sorry I forgot that you had posted that before. It would be prudent to watch out for a rainy season in Central America. If you haven't looked at the blog site I posted by Tessa Hill, who traveled through Mex. and CentAm with her kids, you should.Chris
More Regards Desert Fox TH...Re: Toy Hauler Conversion Recommendatio Reply #12 – February 11, 2016, 05:00:31 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158719...if considering Desert Fox, the best reference website is the following link for Northwoods RV Owners Association (NROA)...believe forum annual fee maybe $20...sometimes they do a free trial month, not sure now?http://www.nroa2003.com/forum/...for your PC "global search" try : desert fox toy hauler -search site: craigslist.com (Unfortunately winter & early spring offer a limited market for used RVs...May & June there should be more selection & $ range)...Desert Foxes are one of the few real 4 season rigs (winter of course you would need electric hookup for tank heaters to work, etc. ...Artic Fox fifth wheel rigs (the large ones) might be worth a look...fifth wheels should be mounted on regular truck bed not short bed to allow proper mobility without knocking the truck cab...tho' there are tricky devices to make short beds work with fifth wheel rigs...the Artic Foxes probably will not give you as much creative flexibility compared to the Desert Fox....if you get serious regarding Desert Fox, send me an email to and I will give you my phone number if you would like to brainstorm & pick my brain...just sold my DF this last summer so my memory should mostly be entact! Best, Vaughn